Women of Promise

It seems like summer has arrived!  With the warmer temperatures comes the increased struggle to keep our bodies hydrated.  Drinking water is essential for our human bodies.  Sometimes children do not even realize they need that water until you give them a cup of cold water and they feel the refreshment that it brings. They may be thirsty, but looking for sodas or snacks instead of water that they actually need. Plants dry up more quickly during these days of warm sunlight.  If you give them a source of water, they flourish and their leaves grow strong and green as they reach for the sun. God placed in all of us a thirst for something that will fulfill us. It is as much a part of our spiritual and emotional need as  physical water is for our bodies. It is absolutely essential that we discover that one thing that satisfies that longing in the pit of our soul.  So often we look everywhere for the answer to that thirst, except for that one place tha...

       Humans are funny creatures.  We are always striving for acceptance.  To do that, we want to dress like everyone around us. We want our homes to be decorated to look like the decorating shows. We compare everything about us to our neighbor or social media posts.  We want to "fit in." We want our kids to "fit in."  This is natural.     At the same time, we struggle to find some way to "stand out."  What is that one thing that makes us different?  Maybe it is a unique sense of style.  Maybe it's a quirky personality. Perhaps you have an unique sense of humor.  We find that thing and wear it with pride.  Our culture applauds this constant tug of war between "fitting in" and "standing out."  No wonder our teens are more confused than ever.       Being intentional about our faith means we look at every area of our life and ask ourselves, "Am I representing Jesus through this?"  This...

 I have shared this before, and as we are in the midst of VBS, I thought I would share it again. It has brought me tremendous blessing to reflect on this over the years, and I pray that God will use this in some small way to  reveal a little more of  Himself to all us.      I want to begin by sharing a short devotional that I read recently.  It shook me to the core and I was amazed at the all encompassing presence and glory of God in a brand new way.  After researching it some and confirming that the information was accurate and not merely a "feel good" inspirational segment, I have been meditating on the truths shared whenever I had some moments to reflect.  It has brought me to tears of joy and adoration.  It has caused me to weep over the lack of knowledge I have of who our God is and exactly how much He is concerned with the fact that we are made in His image.       First, I would like to share the short piece wri...

      As most of you well know, we are prepping and planning for our annual VBS! It is so beautiful to see the children having fun as they learn the Bible and interact with each other and the leaders every year.  As a church, it is lovely to watch so many work together for a common mission: sharing the gospel message.     The Bible has much to say about children.  Luke 18 tells us that Jesus had a very special spot in his heart for children.  He gives a command and a clue about the beauty of His Kingdom: Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God."    Luke 18:16      Service to children is service to Jesus.  He calls us to serve and love these little ones, because He loves them!  Torey reminded us of this at VBS training this year and this truth lived out is what separates true Christians from imposters.      As a church, we are blessed with l...

Source: Billy Graham on Twitter: 2/1/17          Do you ever wake up drained -- exhausted before the day even begins?  Do you ever want to bury your head in the pillow and hide from everyone and everything?  I have heard it called sensory overload, or "needing a mental health day," and other similar things.  Sometimes as a mom, the children pour out their needs and I just don't seem to have anything to give, even for the most simple of requests.  My patience may run thin and I snap over a minor infraction.  Even worse, I may not correct them when they need correction because I "can't deal with it right now."  Sound familiar?  It may be a different source for you that causes you to feel that your "cup has run dry."  Perhaps it is work, friends, or other family members that seem to drain you.  Have you ever heard the phrase, "You can't pour from an empty cup?"  Where do you go when your cup is dry?  Do you tur...

    Wherefore come out from among t hem, and be ye separate, saith the Lord,  2 Corinthians 6:17   I have often heard this verse taken out of context from the pulpit over the years. It has been used to dictate minutia regarding appearances and lifestyle. Some have even taken this as living in almost complete isolation from the world as much as possible. This is often taught in a manner akin to legalism, which places faith in actions rather than the finished work of Christ on the cross. In learning what legalism is, my fleshly reaction was to bounce in the opposite direction from that teaching as a young adult. That was equally in error. I pray that I am slowly understanding more of what God was saying through Paul to the church of Corinth.     First, it is always important to understand the context of any verse that is being studied.  Paul was calling the believers of Corinth to separate themselves from the idol worship that was rampant in their c...

  Oh, magnify the  LORD   with me, and let us exalt his name together ! Psalm 34:3   I remember a fun little vacation my sisters and I spent with my aunt and uncle one summer on Tim's Ford Lake. My uncle would take us out to the far ends of the lake in his pontoon boat and we would jump out into the lake and swim. We had a blast swimming in the shadows of that big boat. It's overarching presence gave us comfort and we never once were concerned about how to get home -- because my sisters and I certainly had no clue where we were. However we had complete faith in my uncle, the captain of his ship, and that big boat's glorious presence was what we looked to for reassurance. We were in awe of that boat, and the times we were able to go out in it were major highlights of that trip.    That little illustration came to mind as I was meditating on some truths about servant leadership that God led me to recently. As we learn to serve God and each other, what is it t...